8,000 cops perform duties on Youm-e-Ali

LAHORE: The district government had taken strict security measures for the Youm-e-Ali (RA) procession, deploying over 8,000 police personnel and large number of reserved police personnel on the route and other sensitive places.

Pillion-riding on motorbikes was banned while mobile phone service was suspended in specific areas. All major roads leading to the procession route were closed to the traffic. Besides, the policemen had taken positions at the rooftops of the buildings along the route and nobody was allowed to stand and watch from the rooftops and balconies.

Special control rooms were established at different points monitor the situation, both manually and through CCTV cameras installed at sensitive points for the purpose. As special security measures this year, the district administration sealed the walled city especially the route of the main procession by parking containers, barbed wires and barricades. Nobody was allowed to join the procession.

Majority of mourners covered their faces with masks to protect themselves from coronavirus. The government of Punjab had issued SOPs of which some were implemented and most of the other SOPs were violated. The mourners violated the social distancing system, including the women who were asked to stay at homes, but they participated in the procession.

DIG Operations Lahore visited different important places of the city to review security arrangements made by Lahore Police on the eve of 3rd Jumma of Ramazan as well as Youm-e-Ali (RA).

He reviewed the implementation process of the 20 points directions of the government at mosques to protect citizens from dangers of Coronavirus during prayers. He said that 3,000 police officers and officials were deputed for security duty of masajid during Ramazan. Accordingly, there were 218 mosques of category A, 775 of category B whereas 4064 mosques fell in ‘C’ category.

As many as 277 Special Enforcement teams were constituted by Lahore Police to ensure implementation on 20-point directions of government during prayer hours in the mosques. Our correspondent adds: The inspector general of police Punjab has said that timely and quick resolution of complaints concerning investigation received through Prime Minister Portal, 8787 Complaint Cell, was among their top priority.

He directed the additional IG Investigation Punjab to personally monitor such complaints received through all the forums and all available resources along with taking all possible steps should be utilised for quick resolution of the applications so that the process of resolution of issues faced by the citizens may be speeded up.